Thread holder for weft replenishing looms



y 0, 1929. w. E. LUNDGREN 1,722,930

THREAD HOLDER FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS Filed Feb. 27, 19 28 Patented July 30, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,722,930 PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. LUNDGREN, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CROMPTON & KNOWLES LOOllI WORKS, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

THREAD HOLDER FOR WEFT REPLENISHING L OOMS.

Application filed February 27, 1928.

This invention relates to a thread. holder for weft replenishing looms and it is the general object of the invention to provide an easily operated device which will clamp the filling extending from the reserve bobbins.

In multicolor weft replenishing mechanism the reserve bobbins are held in parallel vertical stacks as they await transfer and the free end of weft from each bobbin extends toward a thread holder. It is common to wrap the free ends of filling around the thread holder but it is found that this practice leads to large and objectionable bunches of yarn on the holder such as interfere with the proper action of the weft at the time of' transfer. The operator is ordinarily required to wrap the ends around the holder several times which not only consumes time but uses up Weft which might otherwise be woven into cloth. It is an important object of my present invention to provide a holder preferably in the form of a closed coiled spring which can be extended to permit the passage of the threads between adjacent coils, after which the spring may be permitted to assume its normal position the threads being held in position by the natural resilience of the holder.

From time to time it becomes desirable to clear my improved thread holder of such ends as accumulate as a result of repeated transfers and in order to facilitate this operation it is a further object of my invention to provide a simple device which will operate when actuated by the weaver to hold the spring member in a state of tension with the coils separated so that the Weft threads may be more easily removed.

present invention to employ a single holder for the threads which will separate the threads into groups for the purpose of facilitating cleaning of the holder, this result preferably being accomplished by the element which holds the spring in thread releasing position.

With these and other objects in view which 1 will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arran ement of parts hereinafter described and r set forth in the claims.

In the aecefrjapanying wherein I Serial No. 257,191.

have shown an embodiment of my invention,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a multicolor weft replenishing mechanism having my invention applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is a detailed top plan View taken in the direction of arrow 2, Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section on line 33 of Fig. 2, showing the thread holder in normal position, and

Fig. 4- is a view similar to Fig. 3 but with the device held in expanded position to permit easy clearing or cleaning of the weft threads.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1 the replenishing mechanism 10 has an outside plate 11 to which is secured adownwardly and outwardly extending arm 12. As shown particularly in Fig. 2 said plate 10 guides the tips of a plurality of stacks of bobbins and s provided with two thread slots 13 and 14 which arebehind and in front of, respectively, the other of the replenishing mechanism. The bobbins B may be controlled by any mechanism not shown and are inserted one at a time into the shuttle S. There will ordinarily be as many different shuttles as there are different vertical stacks of bobbins and the lay L will act on each alternate forward stroke to present a shuttle in proper position under the magazine 10 to receive a fresh supply of yarn if necessary. The matter thus far described is of common constructron, forming no part of my present inventlon, and may be as set forth in Patent No.

1,030,748 to Ryon.

When the bobbins B are putin the magazine 10 the free ends of thread extending from the tips of the bobbins must be held in some 5 way in order to permit the yarn to be drawn In multicolor looms the weft threads are led to the thread holder from a plurality of vertical slots and it is a further object of my off as the shuttle makes its first flight across the loom after transfer. These ends E in the present instance are led to the right as viewed in Fig. 1 to be held by a closely wound spring 20 supported by the arm 12. The latter is provided with an upstanding hollow boss 21 around which the lower end of the spring lies in sufliciently close contact to hold thevspring in proper position. The upper end of the spring may be reduced as at 22 and may have a hand hold or eye by means of which the spring may be lifted or expanded to separate the coils. means for holding the lower endof the spring to the arm 12 may be employed;

arameter in a and.

Any other convenient 4 I provide a pin 24 which may have areduced neck 25 to be held by the portion 22 of the spring. The lower end of the pin extends normally into and below the top of an upwardly opening recess 26 formed in the boss 21.

When supplying the magazine 10 with full bobbins the spring will be stretched or expanded to separate the coils and the ends E of the bobbins will be passed into the spaces between the separated coils, after which the spring will be released to clamp the threads in position.

The pin 24 serves two purposes, namely, it permits temporary disablement of the spring to permit cleaning of the holder, and it also separates the threads or ends E into two groups. When it is desired to clear the spring of an accumulation of weft ends the operator Will lift the hand hold 23 and tilt the hand rail slightly to one side until the lower pointed end of the needle or pin 24 engages one side of the boss as shown in Fig. 4. The resilience of the spring will hold the pin in the position shown in the latter figure with the coils slightly separated so as to facilitate cleaning. hen the spring is cleared the operator will lift the eye 23 to remove the needle or pin 24 from engagement with the boss 21, after which the spring will tend to assume the position shown in Fig. 8 with the pin located within recess 26. The

pin is seen to be located within the spring where it is out of the way of the operator.

As shown particularly in Fig. 2 the pin may be employed to separate the filling threads into two groups. As illustrating one method of accomplishing this result the threads extending from the slot 13 may pass in front of the pin 24 while the threads extending from the forward slot 14 may be disposed behind said pin. In this way the threads are prevented from passing entirely across the spring so that at the time of cleaning the threads may be moved in groups in the proper direction for easy removal.

A further feature of my invention is illustrated in Figs. 1, 3 and4 wherein I provide the arm 12 with a shelf 30 which extends slightly above the boss 21. The purpose of this shelf is to prevent the threads from being presented to the closed coils of the spring which surrounds the boss. These latter coils are, of course, ineffective to hold the weft ends and the shelf 30 acts effectively to guide the threads away from the closed coils.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a very simple thread holder in the form of a normally closed coil spring which may be expanded either for the purpose of receiving new threads or to be cleaned. It will also be seen that the pin 24 which is located within thespring acts to permit temporary disablement of the spring so that the latter may be cleaned and it will also be noted that the pin acts to separate the thread ends into two groups, thus facilitating the cleaning operation. Furthermore, the shelf 30 acts to prevent the weft ends from coming in contact with those portions of the spring which are not normally expansible.

Having thus described my invention it will be apparent that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but I arate the coils for the reception of weft ends,

the natural resilience of the spring clamping the weft ends under normal conditions.

2. In a thread holder for weft replenishing mechanism having a reserve supply of bobbins from which extend weft ends, a normally closed coil spring having one end fixed with respect to the replenishing mechanism, the other end being free and having means mounted on the spring whereby the latter may be held in expanded position to separate the coils thereof for the reception of the weft ends.

3. In a thread holder for weft replenishing mechanism having a reserve supply of bobbins from which extend weft ends, a normally closed coil spring having one end fixed with respect to the replenishing-mechanism, the other end being free and having provision whereby the spring may be expanded to separate the coils thereof for the reception of the weft ends, and means to hold the spring member temporarily in expanded position with the coils separated.

4. In a thread holder for weft replenishing mechanism having a reserve supply of bobbins from which extend weft ends, a normally closed coil spring having one end fixed with respect to the replenishing mechanism, the other end being free and having provision whereby the spring mayibe expanded to separate the coils thereof for the reception of the weft ends, and means to hold the spring member temporarily in expanded position with the coils separated, said means including a member to have one end brought temporarily in engagement with a fixed part of 1 the replenishing mechanism.

5. In a thread holder for weft replenishing mechanism having a reserve supply of bobbins from which extend weft ends, a normally closed coil spring having one end fixed with respect to the replenishing mechanism,

the other end being free and having provision whereby the spring may be expanded to separate the coils thereof for the reception of the weft ends, and means to hold the spring member temporarily in expanded position with the coils separated, said means including a pin supported by the spring at the free end thereof, said pin being movable when the spring is expanded into holding engagement with a fixed part of the replenishing mechanism.

6. In a thread holder for weft replenishing mechanism having a reserve supply of bobbins from which extend weft ends, a normally closed coil spring having one end fixed with respect to the replenishing mechanism, the other end being free and having provision whereby thespring may be expanded to separate the coils thereof for the reception of the weft ends, and means to hold the spring member temporarily in expanded position with the coils separated, said means including a pin located within the spring and supported by the spring at free end thereof, said pin to have engagement with a fixed part of the replenishing mechanism when the spring is expanded.

7. In a thread holder for weft replenishing mechanism having a reserve supply of bobbins from which extend weft ends, an arm extending from the replenishing mechanism formed with a holding boss, a normally closed coiled spring having engagement with and deriving its support from the boss, said boss extending within the spring, and an elongated member supported by the spring and capable of engagement with the boss when the spring is expanded to hold said spring expanded.

8. In a thread holder for weft replenishing mechanism having a reserve supply of bobbins from which extend weft ends, a normally closed coil spring, a fixed support for one end of the spring having a portion to extend within the spring, and a pin supported by the spring at the free end thereof located within the spring and capable of engagement with the fixed support when the spring is expanded to hold the spring in expanded position.

9. In a thread holder for weft replenishing mechanism having a reserve supply of bobbins from which extend weft ends, said weft ends being in a plurality of groups, an expansible normally closed coiled spring, a member extending within the spring and located substantially coaxial with the spring, said spring being expansible to separate the coils for the reception of the threads, the threads of one group lying on one side of the member within the spring and the threads of another group lying on another side of said member within the spring, said member thereby separating the groups as they are held by the spring.

10. In a thread holder for weft replenishing mechanism having a reserve supply of bobbins from which extend weft ends, said weft ends being arranged in a plurality of groups, a single thread holder to have holding engagement with the threads of all the groups, and means to separate the groups so that the threads of one group are engaged by one portion of the holder while the threads of another group are engaged by another portion of the holder.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

WILLIAM E. LUNDGREN. 

